Electrical illuminating device



Nov. 15, 1932. L. PRQPP 1,887,785

ELECTRICAL ILLUMI'NATING DEVICE Filed July 26. 1929 7,4-, E 74 25 f |||||I||||| 2f 2a 22 25 i 29v ill j 2 2 2 `|ll|||||| e@ A 34a '"Wf/ 78 v 7? .mv TOR @W4 wwf fr W out.

Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED STAT-Es' PATENT oI-FlcE LOUIS PROPP, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., SSIGNOR TO M. PROP? CO., INC., OF YORK, N. Y.,

. A CORPORATION OF N EW 'YORK ELECTRICAL ILLUMINATING DEVCE Application led July 26,

This invention relates to electrical illuminating devices. More particularly 1t -is directed to novel screw shell and socket members having means for preventing loosening or disengagement of the lamp from the socket.

An object of this invention is to provide in a lamp 'and socket members of the character describedv cooperating means for automatically locking the lamp to the socket upon screwing the lamp base into said socket.

A further object of this invention is to provide a lamp and socket of the character described which shall be cheap to manufacture, comprise few and simple parts,simple to manipulate for positively locking the lamp to the socket, and shall yet be practical and eliicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will he exempliiied inthe construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will beindicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which 30 is shown one of the various p ossible illupstrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a. partial, axial, cross-sectional view of a lamp and socket embodying the in- .vention;

Fig. 2 is across-,sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1'r

Fig. 3 is a top-plan view of the socket with the lamp removed;

Fig. 4 is a side, fragmentary, elevational view ofthe lamp;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 but showing a modified construction; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. i

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 esignates an electrical illuminating device embodying the invention and comprising a screw socket receptacle 11 and lamp 12, said lamp being shown, for the purpose of illustration only, in the form of a miniature decorative lamp ordinarily used for Christ- 1929. Serial Ho.v381,104.

mas tree illumination. The receptacle v"11 comprises a housing 14 made of any suitable insulating material suchas phenol-condensate products or the like substances. It is formed with a chamber 15 having an open end 16, for receiving the lamp, andwith a reduced portion 17 having an opening 18 for permitting passage of the conductor wires 19 into the socket. Firmly secured within said socket in any suitable manner adjacent the open end 16 thereof, is a screw shell 20 made of spun sheet metal such as brass. Said shell 20 is closed atone end as by an insulating disc 21 carrying the central contact member 22. The c onductor wires 19 are secured within the socket in the usual manner, one of said wires being soldered to the central contact 22 andthe other being soldered to the shell as at 23. For the purpose hereinafter appearing, the outer rim 24 of the insulating housing 14, adjacent the open end 16 thereof, is formed with a pair of diametrically opposed notches 25, each providing a curved wail26 and a radial abutmentment wall 27.

The lamp 12 comprises a screw threaded base 30 adapted for screwing into the shell 20, and a bulb .31. Integrally formed with the base 30, adjacent theV bulb 31, is a small resilient strip or spring metal 32. VSaid strip may be soldered 'or riveted to the base in any suitable manner as at'36, the free end 33 of said spring extending away from said base in c a counterclockwise direction as shown in Fig. 2 for the lusual lamp base having a right handed screw thread. Itwill now be clear that upon screwing the lamp .12 into its re` ceptacle 11, the spring 32 will slide against the inner surface 34 of the housing 14 and will tend to press outwardly and snap into the notches 25 when aligned therewith. The notches 25 and the spring 32 are so arranged with respect to the socket and lamp base respectively that upon completely screwing the base 30 into the shell 20, the spring 32 will be received in one of the notches 25 and the end 33 thereof will substantially abut the radial wall 27 ofsaid notch. Loosening of the.

lamp will obviously be prevented since due to the contact of the spring32 with said wall 27, unscrewing of the lamp ca'nnottake place,

2 A memes thus ensuring a ainst looseness and breakage ofthe lamps. he sprin 32 and notches 25 constitute pawl and ratc et means for preventing unscrewing of the lamp.

5 In accordance with the modiiied construcy tion shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the lam base 30a is formed with an integral sprin nger portion 32a similar to the spring 32 iut stam ed from the upper portion 37 of said base. aid

lo spring portion 40 is bent outwardly suhciently to engage the notches 25 of a socket receptacle 11 in the manner described above for lamp 10.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a 15 device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be 2O made of the invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustral tive and not in a limiting'sense.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent:

1.v In combination, an electric lam socket comprising an insulating tubular ousin having an open mouth portion, a screw she within said housing, a screw threaded lamp. base receivin the shell fixed within said housing, the rim of said mouth'portion being formed with, a notch on the inner surface thereof,a lamp having a screw threaded base screwed to said shell, said base having a spring nger adjacent the bulb of said lamp adapted to. snap into said notch upon screw- 40" ing said lamp to said shell.

Y 2. In combination, an electric lam socket n comprising an insulating tubular ousing having an open mouth portion, and a fixed screw shell within said housing, a screw threaded lamp base receiving the shell fixed within said housing, the rim of said .mouth vportion being formed with a notch on the inner surface thereof, a lamp having a screw threaded base screwed to said shell, said base having a spring finger adjacent the bulb of said lampadapted to snap into said notch upon screwin 'said lamp to said shell, said finger bein ormed from 'a portion of the wall of sai base. v Y In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

Y, LOUIS PR'OBP. t 

